Friends No Matter What
by Sara London
Summary: *COMPLETE*Before they were mutants and even before they were enemies, Evan Daniels and Pietro Maximeff were best friends. But as they grew up, school, real life, and girls got in the way of their friendship. Especially one girl.....
1. Five Years Ago

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Disclaimer: On the good ship lollipop... 

Author Note: In present time, Evan is 15 and Pietro is 16. 

**

Friends No Matter What

**

**

Part 1 - 5 years ago

**

**

By Travis Blink

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************************************************************************** 

~Present Day~ 

Evan stared out the train window and watched the tunnel's walls go by. He was sleepily and wanted to take a nap but he never could go to sleep on moving objects. 

Aunty O, on the other hand, could. Evan couldn't image how she did it. There she was, sleeping and not even drooling. She had a lot of class. 

So, with nobody to talk to, Evan was left to his own mind. 

Coming back to New York City after being away so long in Bayville felt weird. He wondered if he remember everything. The smells, the noise, the sights. 

He also wondered if any of his old friends would remember him. Or would it be like the first time he came to the City. Friendless and all alone. 

He'd probably would have reminded friendless and alone if it weren't for Pietro Maximeff. 

************************************************************************** 

~ 5 years ago ~ 

3rd grade ended three days ago and Evan could already tell that it was going to be the worst summer in his life. 

The Daniels had moved to New York City the day after 3rd grade ended from Washington D.C. One may say that Evan had moved from one inner city to another, but Evan didn't care. This place was new to him and he didn't have any friends here. 

"Evan, we're here honey." Mrs. Daniels said to her son gently. She knew that he didn't want to be here, but there was nothing she could do about it. Still, it hurt her to see her son so sad. 

"Yeah, whatever," mumbled Evan. The movers had already moved in all the furniture and boxes. So at least the house wouldn't be empty. 

Mrs. Daniels parked the car and they piled out. Mr. Daniels had arrived in the city the day before to help the movers, so he was already there. He came out the front door and waved to his wife and son. 

"Hi Viv," Mr. Daniels came down the steps and gave Mrs. Daniels a kiss on the cheek. Turning to his son, he said, "Hey Evan. Why don't you go up and check out your new room?" 

"Whatever." He headed up the steps. 

His room was upstairs and at the back of the house. It was all white and bare, except for all the boxes and his furniture. His bed was in a corner, the mattress naked of sheets. Evan crossed the room and sat on the bed. He pulled his knees up to his chest, feeling pretty miserable. 

"Hey, Kid!" 

Evan looked up and out the window that was directly opposite his bed. 

There, leaning out of the neighbor's window, was a young boy about Evan's age. He had white hair and pale skin. 

"What?" called back Evan. 

"Wanta come over and play my new video game with me?" 

Staring, Evan said, "I don't know you." 

"I'm Pietro Maximeff." 

Evan walked over to the window. "Evan Daniels." 

"Can you come over now?" 

Smiling, Evan said, "Yeah. Sure." 

************************************************************************** 

Pietro tossed his controller down. "Want to go outside?" 

"Yeah." Evan was grateful. They had played five games and Pietro had won them all. 

"Cool. Let's go." They headed out of the Maximeff's rec room to the backyard. 

Pietro quickly started to climb one of the trees. 

"I thought that there weren't any trees in New York." said Evan. "Or backyards." 

"There isn't that many." Pietro looked down at him. "My mom says we're lucky to get one." 

Evan had met Mrs. Maximeff. She had given him a cookie and Evan thought she was pretty nice. For a mom. 

"What do your parents do for a living, Daniels?" asked Pietro. 

"Well," started Evan. "My dad's a policeman and my mom's a lawyer. What do your parents do?" 

"My mom's a schoolteacher." 

"And your dad?" 

"Don't have one." 

"Pietro Maximeff!" called a girl's voice. Evan looked up to see a girl about the boys' ages leaning out the window. It must be a family thing. "Mom told you to stop climbing that tree. Remember what happened last summer?" 

"Mind your own business Wanda!" yelled Pietro. 

"What happened last summer?" asked Evan. 

"Dumb butt over there fell out of the tree. He broke his leg." yelled Wanda. The wind blew her long brown hair into her face. 

"Go away Wanda!" 

"Fine. But don't come crying to me when mom yells at you." Wanda slammed the window shut. 

"Who was that?" asked Evan. 

"Just my twin sister." answered Pietro. "She's a dog." 

"I don't know." said Evan. "I think she's kinda pretty." 

"Man, that's gross." said Pietro. "Come on. I'll teach you how to climb a tree." 

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	2. Four Years Ago

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Disclaimer: That sweet ship lollipop. 

**

Friends No Matter What

**

**

Part 2 - Four Years Ago

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**

By Travis Blink

**

************************************************************************** 

~ Present Day ~ 

"Evan, dear, we're here." Ororo gently shook her nephew awake. Apparently, Evan could fall asleep on a train if he was tired enough. 

Shaking his head to wake himself, Evan turned to his Aunt. "We're here already?" 

Ororo smiled. "At the last stop, you complained that it was taking too long to get here." She said in her African accent. 

"Yeah, I know." 

His Aunt reached into her handbag and pulled out a tissue. "Here, you might want to wipe your chin." 

"What?" Evan saw his reflection in the window and saw drool had come out the left corner of his mouth. He took the tissue from Ororo and wiped his chin. "There. How's that?" 

"Much better." 

The two grabbed their bags for the weekend and headed into the aisle. 

After a long wait, they finally made it to the train platform. 

While Ororo searched the crowd for the Daniels, Evan took in all of the train station. 

He must have been here a thousand times. 

Yet, everything that was suppose to be familiar to him, felt new and foreign to him. 

Not for the first time that day, Evan wondered where he belonged. 

************************************************************************** 

~ 4 years ago ~ 

Evan and Pietro hung out together all summer. They played video games, hung out in front of the ice cream store (where anybody who's anybody under 13 hung out), and played basketball. Of course, after Pietro taught Evan how to play. Evan picked it up real easy, though, and Pietro called him a natural. 

They even planed to build a tree house in the Climbing Tree, as they dudded it. They had the blue prints and everything made up. The project just never got off the ground. 

Fall came, and while Evan and Pietro were still friends, they didn't get together as often as they did over the summer. Evan thought it was because Pietro was a year older then him. He figured that Pietro was the only reason he wasn't beat up like all the other 4th graders. Pietro was one of the 'cool' guys around the school. He was popular and well liked by pretty much everyone. All the girls had a crush on him and he was always picked first for a team. 

Evan wanted to be just like him. 

************************************************************************** 

Spring was here and the end of school was coming up. Pietro was headed for middle school and Evan would be stuck in the 5th grade. 

On the last day of school, they were walking home together. 

Pietro turned to Evan. "Hey, Daniels." 

"What?" 

"Wanta go to Nick Lee's party tonight?" Nick Lee was Pietro's age and the most athletic guy in the school. Pietro once said that Nick was headed for the NHL. Most likely, Evan would be the only 4th grader at his party. 

"Sure," he said, trying to sound cool and actually pulling it off. 

"Kay. My mom will drive us." 

************************************************************************** 

Evan _was_ the only 4th grader at the party. Nobody pointed it out though. Probably because he was Pietro's friend. 

In fact, that's how Nick greeted him. "You're Maximeff's friend, right?" 

"Yeah." 

"Cool." 

And that was that. Evan was excepted because he was Pietro's friend, not because he was cool or because he was, well, Evan. He will forever be seen as 'Pietro's friend.' 

Evan wasn't sure how he felt about that. 

Wanda was there, too. 

Her long, brown hair was in a French braid and she was wearing a short, tight skirt. 

Evan wasn't sure how he felt about her, either. 

She was there with her boyfriend, Josh Foramen. He was one of those rich, snobby kids that nobody really liked, but pretended to any way. Evan couldn't image what Wanda was doing with him. She was too good for him. 

The music was loud and a basketball game was playing on the Lees' big screen TV. There was food all around. People were laughing, talking, and dancing. 

After being in there for two hours, Evan needed a breather. He headed outside to the deck to get some air. 

He stood there, staring up at the night sky, taking in all the stars. The moon was full that night. Evan remembered his Aunt telling him stories about how African tribes believed that a full moon brought out the crazy side of a person. 

A full moon was also suppose to represent a new love. 

A shooting star crossed the sky. Evan would have made a wish on it, except he had nothing to wish for. 

Evan heard a sobbing noise coming from the bushes. He walked down the deck steps and pecked around the bushes. 

Wanda was sitting on a bench in front of a little fishpond. Her face was in her hands and her shoulders were shaking. 

She looked up when she heard Evan step on a twig. Evan saw that her eyes were red ad she had dried tears stains on her checks. 

"Wanda," said Evan, shocked. "What happened?" 

"Josh dumped me." She wiped her nose on her sleeve. "He called me a bitch and said he hated me." 

"Oh." Evan sat down next to her on the bench. "I'm sorry." 

Wanda looked up at the sky and Evan stayed silent. 

"Evan?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Have you ever been kissed?" 

Evan almost took the manly route; instead, he told the truth. "No." 

"Do you want to be?" 

"I guess." 

She looked up into the sky again. Then she turned back to Evan. "Do you want me to be the one to do it?" 

"I guess," said Evan, gulping. "If you want to." 

Wanda leaned towards him and brushed her lips against his. Then she pulled back. She looked at him and Evan wondered if he was suppose to say something. He figured he should. 

"That was nice." He said finally. 

"Really." She leaned towards him again and this time, Evan felt himself kissing her back. 

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	3. Three Years Ago

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Disclaimer: I don't know the rest of the song… 

**

Friends No Matter What

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Part 3 - 3 Years Ago

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By [Travis Blink][4]

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************************************************************************ 

~Present Day~ 

"Ororo, Evan, over here!" 

The two turned to see Mr. Daniels waving at them. Mrs. Daniels was with him. 

Evan and Ororo ran over to them and Evan hugged his dad while his aunt hugged her sister. Then they switched. 

"How was your trip?" asked Mrs. Daniels. 

"Restful," said Aunty O as Mr. Daniels hailed a cab. 

"Thought provoking," mumbled Evan, scanning the city and taking in everything. The wreaths on the street lights, the Salvation Army Santas, the fake reindeers and sled in Marcy's display store window. 

Evan hated Christmas and Kwanzaa. They were a constant reminder of what happened three years ago. 

When everything went wrong. 

************************************************************************ 

~3 years ago~ 

Jiggle Bells came on through out the house, singling that the doorbell had been rung. 

"Evan, get the door!" yelled Mrs. Daniels. "David," she yelled at her husband. "Take that song off my doorbell!" 

"Oh, come on. Where's your holiday spirit?" 

"You should've asked me that two bottles of Aspirin ago." 

Evan ignored his parents and answered the door. 

Pietro and Wanda stood on the stoop. Wanda was holding pies and Pietro had a bag of gifts. 

"Merry Christmas," they said, cheerfully. 

"And happy Kwanzaa," said Pietro, remembering that Evan's mom celebrated Kwanzaa and therefore, Evan did too. 

"Thanks guy. You too." Wanda headed into the kitchen with the pies. Evan heard his parents greet her and he followed Pietro into the living room. 

"Hey, man," said Evan. "Where's your mom?" 

"She forgot the soda and went to the convince store to pick some up." The Maximeffs had been responsible for bringing the desert and drinks to the dinner. "She told us to go ahead without her, and that she'll be here soon." 

The two kids went off to play a video game. Wanda soon joined them. 

An hour later, the kids trooped downstairs. Mrs. Maximeff hadn't arrived yet and Mrs. Daniels was wondering if they should go ahead with dinner or not. Wanda was getting worried and Pietro wanted to go look for his mom. 

Jiggle Bells filled the house. 

Mr. Daniels got up to answer the door, but Pietro ran past him with Wanda and Evan hot on his heels. 

Pietro threw opened the door, but instead of Mrs. Maximeff standing there, a policeman holding a picture was. From the angle that Evan was at, he could see that it was the Maximeff Family Christmas picture. In it, Mrs. Maximeff was sitting with the twins behind her, each on a different side. 

It had been taken only a week before. 

"Mr. Maximeff, Mrs. Maximeff," started the policeman. "I'm sorry that I have to be the one to tell you this…." 

************************************************************************ 

The day that Mrs. Maximeff was laid to rest was bitter and cold. 

Nobody said much at all at the funeral or the gathering afterwards. 

The gathering was held at the Daniels. A lot of Mrs. Maximeff's friends showed up. They made up for the fact that Mrs. Maximeff didn't have any family, just the twins. 

People stood in groups, talking quietly among themselves about Mrs. Maximeff. 

Evan was sad, but he was more mad. Mrs. Maximeff was a kind, loving person, who would never hurt another being. Ever. To have her taken away like that because of a gun - happy teen who wanted to rob a store just for kicks pulled the trigger. 

Evan hoped he fired in hell. 

He looked around the room, searching for Pietro. Wanda was upstairs in the guest room, resting. The twins had been staying with the Daniels until the state could place them in homes. 

Evan didn't see Pietro in the room and decided to look outside. 

He was sitting on the back porch steps and Evan went to sit next to him. "Hey." 

"Hey." 

"How are you doing?" 

"How do you think I'm doing?" snapped Pietro. "My mom's dead, my sister's in denial, and I don't know what's going to happen to us." 

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to help." 

"You know how you can help?" asked Pietro. "You can promise to be my friend no matter what happens. Can you do that?" 

"Yeah." 

"Yeah what?" 

"We'll be friends no matter what." 

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	4. Two Years Ago

Disclaimer: I really don't remember the rest of the lyrics. 

**Friends No Matter What**

**Part 4 - ~Two Years Ago~**

**By [Travis Blink ][1]**

************************************************************************** 

~Present Day~ 

The Daniels and Ororo got into the cab. Mr. Daniels gave the cab driver the address and they took off. 

Evan leaned against the window and watched the city fly by. Mrs. Daniels and Ororo chatted in the backseat and Mr. Daniels, who had to sit up front because there was no room in back, talked with them over the seat. Evan ignored all of this, though. 

The train station wasn't that far away from the Daniels' home and they were quickly there. 

Mr. Daniels unloaded all the suitcases and paid the driver while Mrs. Daniels and Ororo headed inside. 

Evan slowly got out of the cab and stared at his house. It seemed so unfamiliar, that Evan had to remind himself that it was his house. 

His gaze shifted over to the Maximeffs' house. The Maximeffs didn't live there anymore, of course, the Whitelaws did. But to Evan, it will always be the Maximeffs' house. 

A figure with long, brown hair came to one of the second story windows. 

"Wanda?" Whispered Evan. 

But the figure was gone as soon as it came. 

"Wanda?" Evan asked again, but then he realized that it was pointless. Wanda wasn't around anymore. She was long gone. 

************************************************************************** 

~2 years ago~ 

The twins were put in homes shortly after the New Year. Nobody could take both of them, so they were separated. Wanda was moved to a totally new school district, to live with the Hopmores. Pietro was moved across town, but he and Evan still went to the same school. 

Evan and Pietro drifted apart. Evan tried to keep it together, but Pietro didn't seem to have an interest in it. They still saw each other in the halls at school, but it wasn't the same. 

Since Wanda went to a different school then him, Evan never saw her and he never expected to see her again. 

One night in May, Evan was home alone for the night. His parents were on a business trip and Evan had begged to stay home alone. 

His parents said no. 

They relented and Evan was able to stay home alone. He had heard his mother talking to their next door neighbor and Ms. Green had promised to kept an eye on him. So Evan wasn't truly in charge, but it was close enough. 

Having just devoured a whole pie of pizza, Evan was ready to lay around on the couch for some hard-earned TV time. Turning on the TV, he began flipping through the cannels. 

The doorbell rang a nice, normal ring. Jiggle Bells had been taken off the door on Christmas day. As far as Evan was concerned, he never wanted to hear that song again. 

Tossing down the remote, Evan went to answer the door. Thoughts of mass murders and serial killers crossed his mind, but he shoved them out as soon as they entered. 

He opened the door, expecting it to be Ms. Green coming to cheek up on him or his parents coming home early. Evan had a little drop of hope that it might even be Pietro, coming to see if Evan wanted to come out and climb a tree. 

Evan was not expecting Wanda. 

It had started drizzling earlier and now it was pouring. The rain was causing Wanda's normally fluffy brown hair to hang limp over her shoulders. She was shivering and hugging herself, trying to keep warm. 

But all Evan saw was her face. 

Wanda's once cheerful face was gone. In it's place was a beaten one. She had a black right eye and blood had dried under her nose. Her bottom lip was beginning to swell up. 

"Hi, Evan," she said dryly. 

"Wanda," said Evan. "What happened?" 

Wanda looked at him. "Can I come in?" 

Evan wanted to hit himself for being so stupid. "Yeah, of course." He stepped aside and she brushed past him. Evan followed her into the living room. He saw her look back at him. 

"Where are your parents?" She asked him. 

"Out," said Evan. "They're gone for the weekend. So it's just me and the TV." 

At that moment, a woman's moaning filled the room. Evan and Wanda turned to the TV to see that a steamy sex scene had come on. 

Evan quickly turned off the TV and the moaning stopped. He turned back to Wanda. "I -" he started. 

"What you do in your own time is up to you," she interrupted. She sat down on the couch, and instead of arguing with her, Evan sat down next to her. Wanda was still shivering and Evan wrapped a blanket around her. 

"What happened to you?" Evan asked again. 

"Please." Wanda shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it." 

"All right." They both fell silent. 

Wanda broke the silence. "Do you remember that night at Nick Lee's party?" 

Evan did; he nodded. "Yeah," he said. He didn't add that it was probably the best night of his life. 

Wanda stared off into space for awhile. Then she turned back to Evan. "Has anybody else kissed you since then?" 

It was a pretty personal question. Evan thought it over. 

Becky Rollins had kissed him last year at a Christmas party. Evan had been standing unwisely under a mistletoe and Becky, who always had a crush on him, planted one on him. 

Still, it wasn't like the one Wanda had given him. Both girls had kissed him. But while Becky had kissed him, Wanda had _kissed_ him. There's a difference. 

"No," said Evan. 

Wanda looked up at him and studied him. For a moment, Evan thought she was going to call him a lair. 

"Can I stay here tonight?" She asked. 

"Yeah, sure." He lead her upstairs to the guestroom. 

They stood in the room together and Evan felt awkward. 

Wanda put her hand behind Evan's head and brought her lips up to his. Evan could taste the dry blood that was on her lips. 

"Stay with me," she whispered into his ear. 

"Alright," he whispered back. 

************************************************************************** 

The next morning, Evan woke up to see Wanda gone. 

He wasn't all that surprised. 

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	5. One Year Ago

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Disclaimer: Can any help me out with this song? 

**Friends No Matter What**

**Part 5 - 1 Year Ago**

**By [Travis Blink][4]**

************************************************************************** 

~Present Day~ 

Evan walked into the house and tossed his over - night bag on the couch. 

"Evan," called his mom. 

"Yeah?" 

"Can you go up to the attic and bring down a box of Christmas decoration?" 

He sighed. "Sure Mom." 

He headed up the two pair of stairs, dragging his feet with every step. He reached the attic in no time. Evan saw the box his mom was talking about. 

Buried under other boxes. 

Evan let out another sight and began lifting the other boxes off the desired box. 

One of the boxes on top was really heavy and Evan had to struggle to lift it. He swung it around and heard something get knocked over. Evan sighed again and dumped the box he was holding, not really caring if the stuff inside was fragile or not. Then he turned to see what he knocked over. 

It was a photo album. An old one, too. Pictures had spilled out of it and were in one big mess. 

Evan got down on his knees and began to put them in a pile when he came across a picture. 

Not that was a big shock. Except it was a picture of Pietro and Evan. 

************************************************************************** 

~1 year ago~ 

Wanda had been missing since May and the police just dismissed her as another runaway. Mr. Hopmore, Wanda's foster father, had been arrested a month after Wanda disappeared. He was charged with child abuse and raping of several minors. 

Evan had hoped that after Mr. Hopmore was arrested, Wanda would come out of hiding. She didn't, though. 

Pietro took his sister's disappearance hard, to say the least. When Pietro entered high school in September, Evan heard that he joined a gang and was selling crack now. Evan did know that Pietro joined the basketball team. On game nights that were home games, Evan would go to the high school and watch the team play. He just knew that his place was on that team and that's where he'll be next year. Pietro will finally have to accept him at least as a teammate. 

After the games, Evan would wait by the locker room, hoping to get to chat with Pietro. He'd always chicken out though at the last second and run off. 

No matter what though, Evan could not admit that their friendship was over. 

The season was soon over and spring came up. Not that you could tell in the city. All the smog covered up all the signs of nature. 

Evan was sitting in the kitchen one day drinking his fourth glass of milk in a row, when he found himself staring at the calendar. His mother had changed it recently for the new month. The May picture showed a little orange kitten playing in a field of flowers. 

It wasn't the picture that caught Evan's attention. It was today's date that did. 

It was the one-year anniversary of Wanda's disappearance. 

************************************************************************** 

Evan didn't know why he went to the cemetery. He was glad he did though. 

Sitting on a bench that over looked a duck pond next to his mother's grave sat Pietro. He was grazing at the pond, watching the little ducks play. Evan could tell that Pietro didn't see them, though. 

Slowly, Evan came up to the bench and sat down. 

"Hey," he said softly. 

Pietro nodded. 

They sat in silence for a while. 

"What are you doing here, Pietro?" Evan finally asked. 

"I always come here on the days I died," said Pietro. 

Evan couldn't help it; he shuddered. Pietro didn't sound like himself. He didn't sound normal at all. 

"What are you doing here?" Asked Pietro, but he looked and sounded like he already knew. 

Still, Evan wasn't quick to tell him what he was doing there. 

While Evan was thinking, Pietro turned back towards the pond. 

"I know that she was there that night." Pietro said it so softly that Evan almost didn't hear him. 

"Did she tell you?" Evan asked after a pause. 

"No," said Pietro. "I didn't see her that night." He looked at Evan. "That's how I know she was with you." 

That's when Evan got it. He got why Pietro avoided him even more in the hallways. Why he stopped talking to Evan. Why he stopped coming over. 

"Do you hate me because Wanda choose me?" Evan was afraid of the answer. 

Pietro nodded. 

"Yes," he said. 

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	6. Present Day

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Disclaimer: You people just don't care about the song, do you?! 

**

Friends No Matter What

**

**

Part 6 - Present Day

**

**

By [Travis Blink ][4]

**

************************************************************************** 

~Present Day~ 

Evan stared at the picture. 

It had been taken at some barbecue. He thought it might have been in the one his father had a couple of years ago, but he wasn't really sure. Pietro and Evan were sitting together, trying to look cool in their huge sports jackets and backward caps. Evan smiled at the picture. It was a sad smile, though. 

It was then that Evan realized that it was over. 

Then a thought crossed his head. Maybe it wasn't over yet. 

He took the stairs two at a time and ran out of the house grabbing his coat on his way out. The door slammed behind him. 

************************************************************************** 

The Maximeff sibling who was at the cemetery was not the one that Evan was expecting to see. 

Wanda placed a single red rose on her mother's grave, and, without turning, she said, "Hi Evan." 

"Hi Wanda." Evan said back, stuffing his bare hands into his jacket's pickets. It was cold, and there were paths of snow on the ground. Evan stared at Wanda's back and watched the wind blow her long brown hair around. She was squatting on the ground so she was eye to eye with her mother's tombstone. 

Finally, Evan couldn't stand the quiet anymore. "Where have you been? Don't you know what kind of shit you put your brother though? Don't you care?" 

Wanda stood and turned quickly. Her hair swung around and almost hit Evan in the face. 

"Of course I care," she snapped. "Why would you say that? You don't know anything about what I went though." Tears started to fill her eyes. "You don't know what it's like to listen to your 'sisters' cries for help while your 'Daddy' raped them. Praying to God that he'd stop, but hoping he wouldn't come after you next." 

Evan was taken back. He had heard about what went on in the Hopmores' house, but this eye - witness story was too much to bare. 

"But - " stuttered Evan. "Why didn't you tell any one?" 

Wanda wiped her selves across her eyes and Evan searched his pocket for a Kleenex. "I tried to tell Pietro a thousand times. I even did once, about the beatings. But what could he do? He was just a kid." 

"I could've helped." Evan knew that sounded silly though, since he was 'just a kid,' too. 

"You did. You were with me that night." She looked off to the side, not really looking at anything. "You were my first, you know." 

"What?" Evan was confused. 

"My first kiss," said Wanda, still not looking at anything. "Remember at Nick Lee's party, how I told you that Josh Foremen dumped me?" Evan nodded, even though Wanda still wasn't looking at him. "That's because I wouldn't make out with him. If I hadn't kissed him yet, why would I make out with him? I wanted my first kiss to be meaningful. I wanted it to be with someone I care about. Someone who would treasure the kiss just as much as I would. So, Josh dumped me. And I kissed you." 

"You chosed me," whispered Evan. 

Wanda nodded, her head turned away. "But you didn't come to see me, did you?" 

Evan shook his head. "No. But I'm glad I found you." He leaned to kiss her. 

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	7. Five Years Later

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Disclaimer: I guess you people don't. 

Author Note: Damn writer's block. 

**

Friends No Matter What

**

**

Part 7 - 5 Years Later

**

**

By [Travis Blink ][4]

**

************************************************************************** 

~10 Years Later~ 

"Daddy, where are we going?" 

Evan looked down at his little 5 - year - old son. "We're going to see your uncle." 

"Oh." 

Evan pulled the car into the parking lot and his son hopped out of the car. He looked around the area. "Where are we, Daddy?" 

"We're here." Evan pointed to a tree. "Why don't you go play on that?" 

"Okay." Evan watched his son run off and then turned to walk up a hill. 

He stopped to say hi to Mrs. Maximeff first and to drop off the flowers that his wife had given him. Then Evan stepped over to the grave next to her's. 

It read PIETRO MAXIMEFF. 

************************************************************************** 

~5 Years Ago~ 

At the age of 20, after 5 years of dating, Evan Daniels asked Wanda Maximeff to marry him. 

She said yes, but only on one condition: He had to ask Pietro for permission to marry his sister. 

Apparently, Wanda was a proper girl underneath all that makeup. 

So Evan was forced to go looking for his most hated enemy. One he had not seen for 5 years. Ever since that fateful fall day on Asteroid M, Quicksilver and the rest of the Brotherhood boys were no where to be found. The same was also true for Magneto, Mystique, and Sabretooth. 

Evan had no clue where he should even start looking. 

He took the train out of Bayville and into the city. 

Searching all the places he figured that Pietro might be at, Evan was almost ready to give up. He decided to try one more place before going back to his hotel. 

Maybe it was fate or maybe it was just dumb luck, but at the next bar Evan saw Pietro sitting on a stool at the counter. He had a beer in one hand and his head in the other. 

Evan almost backed right out of there. 

Then he thought of Wanda and how much he loved her. He took a deep breath and walked on. 

"Hey," he said as he came up to Pietro. 

Pietro didn't even bother to look up. "Hey." 

Evan motioned to the empty stool next to Pietro. "Can I sit down?" 

Pietro threw his hands up. "Why not? It's a free country." 

Making himself comfortable, Evan build himself up to ask the big question. "Where have you been all this time?" 

Okay, so it wasn't the BIG question, but it was one Evan wanted to know the answer to. 

"Nowhere," said Pietro. "Everywhere." 

Evan wanted to ask more about it, but he could tell that Pietro knew that the question wasn't what he really wanted to ask. 

"I want to marry Wanda," blurred out Evan. He mentally slapped himself for being so, so...not smooth. 

If Pietro noticed, he didn't show it. "So go ahead. Why are you telling me? I could careless about what you do." 

"You see..." Evan hesitated. "Wanda wants your permission." 

"Ah, the catch," said Pietro. "Well, then, no." He took a swing of his drink while Evan stuttered. 

"Why not?" He finally got out. At first Evan was shocked; now he was angry. 

"Because you already got everything," said Pietro. "Why should I let you have Wanda?" 

"Because I love her." Now Evan was pissed. "And I don't have everything." 

"Oh yeah?" Pietro turned his head and for the first time, looked at Evan. "You got people who love you, a roof over your head, and money in your pocket." Pietro looked away. "I have none of that." 

"I'd trade all of that," said Evan. 

"For what? Wanda?" Pietro took a swing of his beer. 

"For our friendship," said Evan, very sullen. "I want that back." 

Pietro slammed his glass down and stared hard into Evan's eyes. Then he got up and walked off. 

Evan watched him go and then walked out. 

************************************************************************** 

The next morning, Wanda called to tell Evan that Pietro had put a gun to his head. He then pulled the trigger. 

Slowly, Evan hung up the phone. As he placed it back on the hook, the answering machine's red light was blinking. Evan pressed the TALK button. 

"Marry her.." Pietro's voice came out of the machine. "She's always loved you. She told me so. I'd tell you to make her happy, but I know you will anyway. You always made me happy, anyway." 

BEEP! 

Evan stared at the machine. 

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	8. The Funeral

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Disclaimer: I figured it out! 

**

Friends No Matter What

**

**

Part 8 - The Funeral

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**

By [Travis Blink ][4]

**

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~10 Years Later~ 

Evan came down so he was eye level with Pietro's name. 

"Hey," he said. "Sorry I don't visit that much. Never, actually." 

Staring at the flowers in his hands, Evan thought of something to say. The thing was, he had nothing to say. Just questions. To bad Pietro will never be able to answer them. There was one thing he had to say out loud. 

"Did you plan it all?" Asked Evan. "Was it all part of your big scheme? To keep Wanda away from me?" 

Evan stared down at the flowers, and for the first time in his life, he started to cry. 

************************************************************************** 

~5 Years Ago~ 

Only three people came to Pietro's funeral: Wanda, Evan, and the minister. Evan's parents were out of the country and the rest of the X-Men didn't think that it was there place to be here. The other surviving members of the Brotherhood couldn't be found. 

After saying the sermon, the mister, who looked like he rather be somewhere else to begin with, left. That left just Evan and Wanda to stand in the graveyard in the pouring rain, staring at Pietro's tombstone. 

They just stood there. To Evan, it felt like hours. According to his watch though, it was only 12 minutes. 

They stood in silence. Then Wanda spoke. 

"I can't marry you." 

Evan nodded his head. "I know." 

"Do you know why?" 

He nodded his head again. "Yeah, I know." He stared harder at the tombstone. 

Evan did understand. Wanda would never be able to marry him and not think about how her love killed her brother. It would slowly eat at her at her until she finally pulled the trigger herself. Why she hadn't yet made Evan wondered. Loosing someone you love is the most painful thing anyone could go through. 

Evan knew all this because he was feeling the same. The guilt was torturing him. He had no right to be happy when his best friend was six feet under. He couldn't get something out of Pietro's death and live with himself. 

Thank God Wanda turned him down first. He wouldn't be able to say no to that beautiful face. 

They stood staring at that tombstone, their eyes burning holes into Pietro's name. 

Wanda slid the engagement ring off her finger. Evan had made her put it on after he proposed to her, saying that Pietro would say yes. 

The thought had crossed Evan's mind that if Wanda hadn't given him that requirement, Pietro would still be alive. He quickly pushed it away. Pietro would have killed himself anyway. No, this wasn't Wanda's fault; it was Evan's. If only he wasn't so selfish, he would have realized that Pietro would never allow Evan to have something that was his. 

It was all Evan's fault. 

Wanda stepped over to the tombstone; careful not to step where Pietro was laid. She placed her ring on top of it. Then she walked away, careful not to look into Evan's eyes. Evan didn't even try to look into her's. 

Evan stood there, in the pouring rain, staring at his best friend's name, listening to his love walk away forever, by himself. 

He wasn't crying. 

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	9. ReBirth

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Disclaimer: Where the candy...something, something... 

**

Friends No Matter What

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Part 9 - ReBirth

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By [Travis Blink ][4]

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~10 Years Later~ 

Evan stared at PIETRO MAXIMEFF. 

"Maybe I should thank you," he said. "If it weren't for you, I'd never would have met Saleana. We would have never gotten married and I would never have had my son. So I guess I owe you." 

Evan stood up to go. He reached down and placed the flowers on the grave. 

Then he read the tombstone again. When he was through, Evan turned and walked away. 

He looked over his shoulder and whispered good-bye. 

************************************************************************** 

~4 Years and 8 Months Ago~ 

There is nothing better then new baby smell, thought Evan. 

He stared lovely down at his son, stroking the little fist that was wrapped around Evan's pointer finger. 

His wife watched both of her boys as she leaned back in her bed, in perfect bliss. 

The three of them sat there like that for a while. 

Then Evan turned to his wife. 

"What are we going to name him?" He asked, with a smile on his face. 

"Oh, don't give me that," said Saleana. "You know very well that you named the boys and I name the girls." 

Evan turned back to the baby, smoothing the baby's fist, feeling the soft and smooth skin. 

"Pietro," he said. 

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	10. Epilogue

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Disclaimer: Oh damn.... 

**Friends No Matter What**

**Part 10 - Epilogue**

**By [Travis Blink][4]**

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Pietro Daniels, or Pete, which is what his parents called him, unless they were angry, liked climbing trees. He even had a tree house back home that he and his dad built. 

So it was lucky for him that the place where his uncle lived had a good climbing tree. 

He was up there when he saw a boy come out of one of the trailers in the trailer park a cross the street. 

Pete dropped out of the tree and ran over to him. "Hi, I'm Pete." 

The boy looked him up and down. "I'm Ev." 

"Wanta play with me?" 

Ev shrugged. "Sure." 

Pete pointed to the tree. "Wanta go climb that?" 

Looking a shame, Ev said, "I don't know how too." 

"I'll show you." 

"All right," said Ev. "Come on, I'll race you." He took off running. 

"Hey, wait up," yelled Pete. "You're going to fast!" 

************************************************************************** 

PIETRO MAXIMEFF

A Son, A Brother, & A Friend

No Matter What

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The End 

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Author Note: Just some notes. 

First off, I like to thank every one for reviewing. This story was only suspense to a side thing. Then it took over my life, in a way. I'm glad this story was a success. 

Second, remember Saleana. She's going to show up in my X-Men: Evolution series eventually. Just kept an eye out for her. 

Third, I doubt I'll do a squeal to this, so don't ask for one. If you have a good idea for one, you can e-mail it to me. Just because it's a cliffhanger doesn't mean anything will happen because of it. 

Fourth, I like to think you guys again for reading and reviewing. You guys are the reason way I write my stories. Well, not the reason, but you guys do help. Like the icing on the cake. 

Thanks and happy readings. (Read my stuff. ;-). ) 

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